21 Grams
2003 Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Synopsis
How much does life weigh?
This is the story of three gentle persons: Paul Rivers an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to an English émigré, Christina Peck, an upper-middle-class suburban housewife, happily married and mother of two little girls, and Jack Jordan, an ex-convict who has found in his Christian faith the strength to raise a family. They will be brought together by a terrible accident that will change their lives. By the final frame, none of them will be the same as they will learn harsh truths about love, faith, courage, desire and guilt, and how chance can change our worlds irretrievably, forever.
Cast
Popular reviews
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If I were to write a list of everything that is wrong with 21 Grams, I would spend a very long time staring at a blank page. This film is so fantastic in so many different ways; the acting, the direction, the writing, everything is amazing.
Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro are flawless; they both deserved Oscars, not just nominations. Every word they spoke carried so much emotion that it was easy to forget that it is only a film. Not to say that Sean Penn wasn't excellent as well. He did a fantastic job of portraying both a weak, frail man as well as a strong, confident mathematician but his performance was not even in the same league… -
"Lovely non-linear depiction of three people whose lives come together through the tragedy of a car accident. The non-linearity is difficult to follow but makes one concentrate on a fascinating film."
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This is another film I had in my mental watchlist (pre-Letterboxd) for years but never got around to seeing until now. I think the main reason is I had heard how grim and depressing this film was, and I kind of didn't want to put myself in that mental state. But in the end I said, what the heck...
First thing I realized is that I had no idea what this film was about. I totally thought this was a film about drugs, given the title. So I was pleasantly surprised by the plot. The film tells a devastating story of three people: a dying man waiting for a heart transplant while his marriage crumbles, a happily married mother that…
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A good, if overly depressing drama. The performances outshine the script that's too head upon nail-like in the way it presents itself/its themes. Watts is amazing here.
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Superb.
Penn, Watts, Gainsbourg and Del Toro are outstanding. Each one gives a compelling and powerful performance. You feel their pain.
This is an ambitious movie that strives for greatness, and that is exactly what it achieves.
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A cleverly crafted non-chronological storyline and phenomenal dialogue and acting make this movie difficult to look away from. Paul (Sean Penn) is a desperately ill math teacher. Cristina (Naomi Watts) is a happily married recovering addict. Jack (Benecio de Toro) is an ex-convict turned evangelical Christian. Their lives come together in a bizarre way.
All three leading actors were magnificent, but for me, the stand-out performance was by Benecio del Toro. His new-found faith is passionate but paper-thin. Right from the beginning, even before the plot thickens, we can feel the desperation and rage seeping out from under the surface -- he scares me. At the same time, he has tremendous heart. I don't know how he pulls off developing this intense, contradictory character, but he nails it.
Recent reviews
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When the movie started I felt like the chronological jumps were more a gimmick than a tool, but once they slowed down a bit I actually found that it gave the movie a different feel, allowing you to see the characters at different points in time you managed to see a full person and really get who they are and what they are going through, which is the whole point of the movie. The acting is amazing and the three leads end up being portrayed in a very authentic and relatable manner.
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Mind-blowingly beautiful but not something I ever want to subject myself to again.
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Maybe a little too long for my taste, but overall a good movie with solid performances by all the actors. And a really compelling non-linear storyline.
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This is a uniquely structured film that demands your attention and is quite rewarding.
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I guess I liked this a good deal at the time, but I don't remember it at all, honestly.
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"Terrific performances from Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro & Sean Penn with very good performances from the supporting players including Melissa Leo, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston & Eddie Marsan in this frustrating drama from a the underrated director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu."
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it's simple - Inarittu is a master at his craft, and 21 Grams is up there as one of his best films. Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro put everything they had into their performances in this movie, Watts as a grieving mother and del Toro as a man who has lost his faith. The storyline visiting the same themes over and over again - grief, revenge, loss, redemption - and focusing on certain scenes (the moments before Christina's family's deaths, Jack's church scenes) made for a really powerful movie. My only gripe is with Charlotte Gainsbourg's character, who seemed out of place, almost. I love her, I wish she had played a more diverse role. Otherwise, if a movie could be perfect, this would be it!
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Mr. Iñárritu, what a freaking genius.